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The Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday (7 p.m.) in their last game before the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day against the Detroit Red Wings. This is the second meeting of the season between the clubs. The Hurricanes won 3-2 on Oct. 17. They meet for the final time on Jan. 9. The Hurricanes, second last in the Metropolitan Division, are looking to snap a four-game winless streak.

Here’s what you need to know about Sunday night’s game.

NEED TO KNOW

Both the Leafs and Hurricanes have collected only 12 points in the month of December. The Hurricanes are 3-3-4 in their last 10, while the Leafs are 3-5-2. The Hurricanes’ next game is against the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs play the Detroit Red Wings in the Winter Classic on Wednesday at Michigan Stadium. The Hurricanes (14-15-9) are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Justin Peters made 22 saves in the defeat. Peters has started the last three games in goal. The other goalie, Cam Ward, has missed 10 games to injury.

WHO’S IN

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We will see the return of top-line centreman Tyler Bozak, who has missed a total of 24 games to injury this season. His return should inject some new-found life into the first line and boost the power play. He’ll probably get lots of minutes. It appears Leaf coach Randy Carlyle will start Jonathan Bernier in goal again because Bernier was in the “home” goal at the morning skate. That usually indicates the starting goalie. It should have been James Reimer’s turn to start in the Leafs goal but he hasn’t played since he was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots after the first period against the Red Wings last Saturday. This will be Bernier’s third straight start.

WHO’S OUT

The Leafs remain without Dave Bolland, who has missed 25 games due to an ankle injury; and Trevor Smith, who has missed four games with a broken hand. The Hurricanes have three representatives in the world junior hockey championships. Erik Karlsson (Sweden), Elias Lindholm (Sweden) and Jaccob Slavin (USA)....Hurricanes forward Jiri Tlusty (appendectomy) will miss three weeks. Defencemen Jay Harrison (concussion) and Joni Pitkanen (heel) are out indefinitely.

WHO’S HOT

Eric Staal leads the Hurricanes in scoring with 30 points, while Jeff Skinner leads in goal scoring with 14....Since Skinner returned from injury reserve on Nov. 21, Carolina’s top line of Skinner/Eric Staal/Tuomo Ruutu has a combined 37 points in 17 games... Skinner has 12 points and four multi-point games in his last 11 games. Manny Malhotra ranks third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage at 60.3 per cent (minimum 300 faceoffs taken). Leafs defenceman Cody Franson, and forwards Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel are coming off strong games in the 4-3 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres. Lupul continues to be money in the bank in the shootout, where he is 4-4 this season. Franson has a team-leading 13 power-play points and Kessel is right behind with 11. Lupul leads all Toronto players in career goals (7) in 18 games against Carolina....Toronto is ranked fourth in power-play percentage in the NHL with a 22.7 per cent success rate....Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier is 1-0-2 with a 1.72 goals-against average his past three appearances.

WHO’S NOT

Nazem Kadri continues to struggle and was not effective on the top line with James van Riemsdyk and Kessel. He has scored only four goals in the month of December. And he has scored only two goals in his last 11. He’ll perhaps find more comfort in returning to the team’s No. 2 centre. David Clarkson has only three goals and eight points all season and has only one goal in the month of December. Dion Phaneuf will have to control his temper. Against Buffalo, he took a dumb hooking penalty late in the game and the Sabres took advantage to score and tie the game. He also took a game misconduct for arguing with the referee... Toronto ranks 27th in the NHL in penalty-kill success at 77.9 per cent.

LEAF LINES

At the morning skate, Tyler Bozak was between Kessel and Van Riemsdyk; Peter Holland was between Jerry D’Amigo and Colton Orr; and Jay McClement was between David Clarkson and Nikolai Kulemin.

WHAT LEAF COACH SAID

Randy Carlyle on facing the Staal brothers, Jordan and Eric.

“When you play up against the Staal brothers, they’re big, they’re strong. They do a lot of things for their hockey club, starting with the faceoff circle. They’re both playermakers.”

On the importance of faceoffs:

“I just look at it as an opportunity for you to start with the puck. If you’re not having success against the individual, I’m about being competitive. And I believe that our team has to become more competitive in those small areas. Think we have to show more tenacity, more bite and when it comes down to it, more competitive spirit. I think that’s an area that our younger players have to learn that if things aren’t going your way, you have to change it up.”

WHAT BOZAK SAID

“I’m excited. It’s never fun sitting out. It’s good to be back and hopefully we can get on a roll. The first game is pretty tough. Whenever you miss an extended period of time, there’s only so much you can do. There’s game shape and there’s other shape. It’s obviously going to be tough maybe for the first couple of periods.”

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